


Math Woes

by Fangirl_Shenanigans



Category: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-18
Updated: 2014-02-18
Packaged: 2018-01-12 23:17:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1204198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fangirl_Shenanigans/pseuds/Fangirl_Shenanigans
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jason has difficulties with math and gets help from someone no would expect. </p><p>Story is hopefully better than my lame summary.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Math Woes

**Author's Note:**

> I personally have difficulty with math, so this was something I wanted to write for a while. I just didn't know which of my muses I wanted to give the problem. Characters may be OOC, but regardless of what you think I am pleased with this piece.

**Author’s Notes: Okay, I would like to point out a few important factoids before you guys read this and comment (assuming anyone does). Please keep these little factoids in mind while reading this story.**

  1. **This is my first MMPR fan fiction, as such it will NOT be perfect.**
  2. **It is my personal head canon that Jason has some difficulty with Math and that Skull is secretly smarter than he lets on.**
  3. **I am NOT trying to downplay Jason as dumb. I am a college student who has trouble with simple subtraction, multiplication and division myself. I have been arithmetically challenged since I can remember and have to supplement my college basic math with a workbook designed for 6 th graders.**
  4. **Flames will be used to sing ‘row, row your boat’ while eating s’mores.**



**The last thing I would like to point out is that this story was inspired by my own struggles with math. I chose Jason not just because he is my favorite ranger to ever exist (other than Tommy), but because I could actually see him having difficulties in math and forming a silent camaraderie with an unexpected character over having a shared challenge in their lives.**

**Dislaimer: I do not own Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers belongs first and foremost to Saban Entertainment. Over the years 20 th Century Fox, Disney, and Nickelodeon have all had rights over it, but it is SABAN that hold the most power over this franchise as a whole.**

Jason Lee Scott looked down at his math book with dread. The red ranger had left math until last, knowing it was his weakest subject. What made it worse was the fact he was in high school and was still having difficulties with the basics of subtraction, multiplication and division. Addition was easy for the teen; he just didn’t understand what he was doing wrong. It got worse when he tried checking his equations with a calculator after finishing a problem just to find he’d done something wrong.

 _I guess it’s now or never…maybe I should ask Billy or Trini to tutor me…or ask the teacher to assign me one._ Jason thought to himself as he grudgingly opened his textbook and the notebook he’d set aside just for math. It was an idea given to him by Billy. The blue ranger had discussed that maybe Jason could benefit from applying the same organizational skills as he did for keeping up with his Karate lesson plans. Jason was thankful for that advice since they were 10.

Two minutes into his assignment and the nightmare began. A problem that required he solve a division problem involving integers. Jason did his math homework to the best of his ability and decided to call it a night.

The next morning Jason was filled with dread as he gathered his school stuff and left the Scott residence after eating a small breakfast (he wasn’t feeling all that up to eating at all actually). Not many things could ruin Jason’s appetite, but math certainly was one of them.

“Hey, are you all right bro?” Tommy asked, resting a hand on Jason’s shoulder at lunch to try and shake him out of his thoughts. Jason jumped a bit, not realizing he’d been spaced out still worrying about his math homework.

“I’m fine Tommy.”

“Yeah right Jason,” Kimberly interrupted, “You’re worried about bombing the homework assignment aren’t you?”

_Am I really that easy to read? Well, everyone but Tommy has known me for a long time now._

“What makes you say that Kim?” Jason replied, hoping she didn’t actually have any solid form of evidence against him. That was wishful thinking when Zack decided it would be a good time to back her up.

“You’ve barely touched your chili man, and we all know you love chili.”

Jason let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding before digging into his chili just so he wouldn’t have to confirm or deny the accusation despite the truth of it. Billy watched, keeping his worry to himself for now. The blue ranger was almost certain Jason was going to end up sick by the end of the day between stressing over the math assignment and suddenly inhaling his lunch the way he was. The rangers were unaware of Skull looking over at Jason also a little concerned, not that he’d admit anything.

Miss Appleby was a nice teacher, and taught several subjects including basic math. Needless to say the plump woman was surprised when Skull or as he was actually known by the school staff, Eugene walked into the classroom.

“Uh, Miss Appleby can I sign up for tutoring stragglers?” Skull asked, wondering if he’d regret doing this or not.

“Well, you are one of my top students when you apply yourself and I do have room for one more tutor. Why not? Just put your name on the clipboard, your actual name please Eugene.” Miss Appleby replied, handing the usually smart-mouth student the clipboard. All the while she wondered if Eugene knew something she didn’t.

Grading papers while the class was occupied with their quizzes, she came upon a paper that looked like it had been erased and written on several times. It wasn’t the first time Miss Appleby had seen this sort of issue with a student, and it certainly wasn’t the first time she’d seen the name Jason Lee Scott on one of those papers. Looking over the paper she noticed that were some of these normal numbers and not negative that Jason’s answers would have been correct. On regular subtraction problems, he seemed to have issues with borrowing correctly from other numbers. Decimals were rounded almost correctly and fractions were proper but not quite simplified enough to be correct.

“Jason, would you stay after class please?”

Those were the very words Jason had been dreading all day. The words that would mean his math grade is so atrocious he’ll be off the football team and the words that will have him put into the Remedial Math course for the rest of his sophomore year.

“Yes Miss Appleby.”

“Jason, I noticed you seem to be having difficulties with your math.” Miss Appleby started after the rest of the class had left. The woman’s voice was calm and she hoped didn’t instill as much unease as the subject itself must now that he was being called out on it.

“I…” Jason couldn’t finish his confession about what caused the problem. Not so much from embarrassment that he couldn’t answer things a 6th grader could in his mind but that he wasn’t sure how to do it.

“Jason, while your math skills aren’t as bad as they could be; I think you could stand some good from tutoring. I think if we find someone who can help break it down for you at your pace, that we won’t have to resort to remedial math. I’ve talked with your coach, and he agrees that if you work on your math you won’t have to leave the team.”

“Wait, coach won’t kick me off the team if I can get the grade up by the next game?” Jason asked, hope slipping into his voice and reaching his dark eyes.

“That is my understanding. I’ve selected a tutor who tutors on the days you don’t have practice or your karate class. You’ll be meeting with Eugene.”

Jason’s hope was instantly replaced by dread when he heard that his tutor would be Skull. Where Skull was, there was usually Bulk who seemed to have a personal vendetta against him and his friends. Skull on his own was thankfully rather harmless, and deceptively intelligent. Picking his battles wisely though, the brunet didn’t complain or argue. After all, if he could get his grade average where it needed to be then he could suffer a little more bullying.

Their first tutoring session was on a Thursday, and they decided to meet in the school library after school. What surprised Jason was the fact that Skull was actually talking to Billy when he arrived, but as soon as Jason came into view Billy waved and left the area for Science Club.

“Look, before we start Jason…I want to get something cleared up. I ain’t helping you because I like you.”

“Which the entire school knows you and Bulk dislike me and my friends,” Jason countered, hoping to urge Skull to his point. It was rare to hear Skull talk without Bulk, but Jason was focused on what was about to be said.

“I’m helping you ‘cause I know what it’s like to be bad at something to the point I felt like a lost cause. See, freshman year I was really bad at science. Even though I was a bully, Billy stepped up to tutor me in science after school on days I wasn’t hanging out with Bulk. But before that I felt terrible and inferior, and took it out on Billy usually. I am a jerk by nature, and Billy helped me. Now someone is struggling in a subject I’m pretty good at, so now it’s my turn to by the helping hand.’

Jason was needless to say stunned. Not only did Skull just talk about what should be a very personal story with him, he had just revealed himself to be an actually decent person.

“I’ll make sure not to bring it up.”

Skull allowed a small smirk at the needed reply, pleased Jason didn’t need it spelled out for him not to act any different than they normally did.

Two tutoring sessions with Skull (Billy occasionally dropping in to help) and Jason had successfully grasped the material and brought his grade back to an acceptable level. While Jason still had trouble with math, he knew he had people he could turn to for help, even if he wasn’t the usual suspect for academic assistance.

**END**

**Author's Note:**

> If anyone is interested in giving me some prompts through PM, I write for MMPR, PRDT, DBZ, KH, STTOS, STAOS (grudgingly), SMTP3 SMTP4 and FFVII-X, XII and Dissidia. If I get some prompts I may post more stories.


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